This is Sparta: Fierce warriors of the ancient world - Craig Zimmer

Translator: Brenda Ariesty Kusumasari Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

In ancient Greece, violent internal conflict between bordering neighbors

Di zaman Yunani kuno, konflik internal yang penuh kekerasan dengan perbatasan

and war with foreign invaders was a way of life,

serta perang dengan penjajah adalah jalan hidup,

and Greeks were considered premier warriors.

dan orang Yunani dipercaya sebagai prajurit yang tangguh.

Most Greek city-states surrounded themselves with massive defensive walls

Sebagian besar negara bagian Yunani melindungi daerahnya

dengan tembok pertahanan raksasa sebagai perlindungan tambahan.

for added protection.

Sparta in its prime was a different story,

Di masa kejayaannya, Sparta memiliki cerita yang berbeda.

finding walls unnecessary

Tembok pertahanan tidak diperlukan

when it had an army of the most feared warriors in the ancient world.

karena Sparta memiliki pasukan prajurit yang paling ditakuti di dunia.

Apa yang Sparta lakukan secara berbeda dibandingkan negara bagian lain

So what was Sparta doing differently than everyone else

to produce such fierce soldiers?

untuk menghasilkan prajurit yang begitu kuat?

Untuk menjawabnya, kita melihat bukti tertulis pada masa itu.

To answer that question, we turn to the written accounts of that time.

Tidak ada catatan tertulis dari Sparta yang bisa ditemukan

There are no surviving written accounts from Spartans themselves,

as it was forbidden for Spartans to keep records,

karena penduduk Sparta dilarang menyimpan catatan apa pun.

so we have to rely on those of non-Spartan ancient historians,

Jadi, kita harus bergantung pada sejarawan kuno bukan dari Sparta,

like Herodotus, Thucydides, and Plutarch.

seperti Herodotus, Thucydides, dan Plutarch.

These stories may be embellished

Kisah ini mungkin dibesar-besarkan,

and depict Sparta at the apex of its power,

so take them with a grain of salt.

jadi jangan ditelan mentah-mentah.

For Spartans, the purpose for their existence was simple:

Tujuan utama eksistensi penduduk Sparta sangatlah sederhana:

to serve Sparta.

melayani bangsa Sparta.

Pada saat mereka lahir,

On the day of their birth,

elder Spartan leaders examined every newborn.

sesepuh Sparta memeriksa setiap bayi.

The strong healthy babies were considered capable of fulfilling this purpose,

Bayi yang kuat dan sehat dianggap mampu melaksanakan tujuan tersebut.

Bayi yang lain ditinggalkan di Gunung Taygetus hingga meninggal.

and the others may have been left on Mount Taygetus to die.

Every Spartan, boy or girl, was expected to be physically strong,

Setiap penduduk Sparta, lelaki atau perempuan,

diharapkan memiliki fisik yang kuat,

mentally sharp,

pikiran yang tajam,

and emotionally resilient.

dan tangguh secara emosional.

And it was their absolute duty to defend and promote Sparta at all costs.

Tugas utama mereka adalah melindungi dan membantu Sparta dengan cara apa pun.

So in the first years of their lives,

Pada tahun-tahun awal kehidupan mereka,

children were raised to understand that their loyalty belonged first to Sparta,

anak-anak dibesarkan untuk memahami bahwa kesetiaan utama mereka pada Sparta,

and then to family.

baru kemudian untuk keluarga.

This mindset probably made it easier for the Spartan boys,

Pola pikir ini mungkin memudahkan anak lelaki Sparta

who upon turning seven, were sent to the agoge,

yang dikirim ke Agoge saat berusia tujuh tahun,

a place with one main purpose:

sebuah tempat dengan satu tujuan:

to turn a boy into a Spartan warrior

untuk melatih anak lelaki menjadi prajurit Sparta

dengan latihan tanpa henti, keras, dan brutal selama 13 tahun.

through thirteen years of relentless, harsh, and often brutal training.

The Spartans prized physical perfection above all else,

Penduduk Sparta menjunjung tinggi kesempurnaan fisik di atas segalanya

dan calon prajurit menghabiskan waktunya untuk belajar bertarung.

and so the students spent a great deal of their time learning how to fight.

To ensure resilience in battle,

Untuk menjamin ketahanan dalam pertempuran,

boys were encouraged to fight among themselves,

anak lelaki dianjurkan untuk saling berkelahi

and bullying, unlike today, was acceptable.

dan perundungan, berbeda dengan saat ini, diperbolehkan.

In order to better prepare the boys for the conditions of war,

Agar anak lelaki siap dengan kondisi perang,

the boys were poorly fed,

mereka tidak diberi cukup makanan,

sometimes even going days without eating.

bahkan kadang dibiarkan tidak makan berhari-hari.

They also were given little in the way of clothing

Mereka juga tidak diberi pakaian yang layak

so that they could learn to deal with different temperatures.

agar bisa bertahan hidup di suhu yang berbeda-beda.

Spartan boys were encouraged to steal in order to survive,

Anak lelaki Sparta dianjurkan mencuri untuk bertahan hidup

but if they were caught,

Namun, mereka akan dihukum jika tertangkap.

they would be disciplined,

not because they stole, but because they were caught in the act.

Bukan karena perbuatan mencuri,

tapi karena mereka tertangkap basah saat mencuri.

During the annual contest of endurance

Selama kontes daya tahan tahunan

di ritual agama yang disebut sebagai diamastigosis,

in a religious ritual known as the diamastigosis,

teenage boys were whipped in front of an altar

anak lelaki dicambuk di depan altar

at the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia.

di Tempat Suci Artemis Orthia.

It was common for boys to die on the altar of the goddess.

Anak lelaki meninggal di tempat tersebut menjadi hal yang lumrah.

Fortunately, not everything was as brutal as that.

Untungnya, tidak semua hal sekejam itu.

Young Spartans were also taught how to read,

Remaja Sparta juga diajarkan membaca, menulis, dan menari

write,

and dance,

which taught them graceful control of their movements

yang melatih mereka untuk mengontrol gerakan dengan baik

dan membantu mereka dalam perang.

and helped them in combat.

While the responsibilities for the girls of Sparta were different,

Walaupun kewajiban anak perempuan Sparta berbeda,

the high standards of excellence

standar tinggi dalam kesempurnaan

and expectation to serve Sparta with their lives remained the same.

dan harapan untuk melayani Sparta dalam hidupnya tetap sama.

Anak perempuan tinggal di rumah dengan ibunya selama mereka belajar.

Spartan girls lived at home with their mothers as they attended school.

Their curriculum included the arts,

Mereka belajar seni, musik, tari, membaca, dan menulis.

music,

dance,

reading,

and writing.

And to stay in peak physical condition, they learned a variety of sports,

Untuk menjaga kondisi fisik, mereka belajar berbagai macam olahraga,

such as discus,

seperti lempar cakram, lempar lembing, dan berkuda.

javelin,

and horseback riding.

Hanya perempuan kuat dan cakap yang dipercaya mampu

In Sparta, it was believed that only strong and capable women

could bear children that would one day become strong and capable warriors.

memiliki anak-anak yang bisa menjadi prajurit kuat dan cakap di Sparta.

To all Spartans, men and women,

Bagi penduduk Sparta, lelaki dan perempuan,

perhaps the most important lesson from Spartan school

ilmu terpenting dari sekolah di Sparta

was allegiance to Sparta.

adalah kesetiaan kepada Sparta.

To die for their city-state was seen as the completion of one's duty to Sparta.

Mengorbankan diri untuk Sparta adalah dedikasi utama.

Upon their death,

Di saat kematiannya,

only men who died in battle and women who died in childbirth

hanya lelaki yang gugur dalam perang dan perempuan yang gugur saat melahirkan

were given tombstones.

diberi batu nisan di makamnya.

Bagi penduduk Sparta, mereka gugur agar Sparta tetap bertahan hidup.

In the eyes of their countrymen, both died so that Sparta could live.